Mercedes admitted it was “way back” on its program after day one after a morning transmission problem and an afternoon balance problem caused it to slide to the bottom of the mileage tables.
The team recovered on Saturday when Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time of the day and completed 58 laps in the second session.
Hamilton was also able to complete 58 laps in the morning but lost time after causing a red flag at Turn 13 as he spun off the track into the gravel. He finished the day 15th in the final ranking.
Despite a more productive day, Mercedes remained at the lower end of the kilometer list with a total of 162 laps. The leading team is Alpine, who made 257.
But seven-time world champion Hamilton downplayed suggestions that Mercedes might be in trouble given its setbacks when asked how close the team was to worrying.
“It’s the second day of testing, we’re only concentrating on our job, so not for a long time,” said Hamilton in the afternoon before Bottas started his run. “I think we’re just focusing on understanding the car. There’s no point in worrying just yet.
“Everyone is focused on their programs, and we do.”
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Hamilton said the Mercedes W12 car felt “pretty much the same” as it did on its first run, but was happier with track conditions after a sandstorm disrupted Friday’s run.
He explained how the windy conditions contributed to his spin at Turn 13 that resulted in the first red flag of the day.
“I think the wind made a 180 today, so the track is very different today,” said Hamilton. “You can push some places where you couldn’t make it yesterday, and it’s very gusty, as I found out at Turn 13.
“So the rear doesn’t feel particularly good with this new regulation change, but we’re trying to find the sweet spot.”
Hamilton and Bottas will each have a session on Sunday to round off the Bahrain Test. Mercedes is also planning a day of shooting in Bahrain next week before the Grand Prix at the end of the month.
When asked how useful tests had been for Mercedes in improving the W12 car, Hamilton replied, “Compared to the past, it wasn’t particularly useful.
“We did what, 60 laps? Something like that. And I think Valtteri will do his first laps. So that’s not much compared to other days of testing we usually had, but we try to be as efficient as possible.
“So far we have less mileage than some of the others, like the Red Bulls. We’re just trying to stick to our program, manage the number of laps we have, and be as efficient as possible. “
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